Dr. Warren Larson Lecture: Forces of Natural Representation in Folk Islam
Dr. Warren Larson delivered a lecture on the forces of natural representation in Folk Islam during a CIU course. Here, Larson presents the natural representation of forces in Folk Islam, such as the Black Stone of the Kaaba, the Dome of the Rock, Morghe Rebat, and the White Stone, how these affect the concepts of God, and how Christians should respond.
Here starts the auto-generated transcription of Dr. Warren Larson Lecture: Forces of Natural Representation in Folk Islam.
33 has to do with natural representations, and this is not the only one. It’s just the start of them. We will be talking this time quite a bit about stones and, natural representations talking about stones quite a bit, but there is some missiological stuff too, application, you know, coming as as always, at the end. Not as always at the end, but here in this case, we’ll be talking about it in the very end of the lecture. This is unit 3, of course.
We’re talking about forces, and so through thinking about, you know, the various representations, why Muslims, think that that these particular objects are so powerful. One of them we have talked about a lot, and that is the black stone, right there in the corner of the Kaaba. And when Muslims go there on the pilgrimage, I mean, goodness sakes, if we mentioned it once, we’d mentioned it half a dozen times that, they really want to go on the pilgrimage to, well, this is certainly one strong motivation force. Let’s put it that way. And not the only one, but, one strong motivation to touch the black stone, to to kiss it, to embrace it. Natural force
And so in that right in front of that black stone, you can see pictures of people pushing and shoving, and, and some of them are just raising their hand. They can’t they don’t dare to get close to it. Of course, the danger there of getting trampled. So if you’re a little short like Zaccheus was, or old and feeble, you would certainly want to be hanging on to somebody who is big and strong because people do get trampled together to to death in that in that place because they all want to touch the black stones. So you’ve got millions of people circling around, to touch, that and kiss it as they go around.
I mean, how whatever you can do. I mean, get get this the blessing. Now another blessing another, rather, another stone we’re talking about is the Dome of the Rock, and that is in Jerusalem. We really have a hard time, don’t we, figuring out why that is such a special place to Muslims. I mean, they are not about to give it up, but, of course, the Jews aren’t either.
And so when you think of Israeli Palestine Israel Palestine tension, the real problem there is in East Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock, and it’s a very sacred place. I mean, I can’t help but but think that there is some of this spiritual, mystical, magical forces stuff going on in the Dome of the Rock, that, that has to do in other words, that strong poll, why why Muslims are not willing to give up Jerusalem. Now I’m not arguing. I’m not saying that the Jews are the only ones who have a, a place in Israel. I’m not I’m not arguing for that.
I believe, in a sort of a two state solution. I wouldn’t say like one republican candidate did here several months ago that, Palestinians are an invented people, which I think is a big mistake. They are not an invented people. But I’m I’m just saying that, the Dome of the Rock is extremely precious, to to Muslims, and I can’t help but believe that some of the very thing reasons we’re talking about is here. One of the things is that Muslims have the idea that, Muhammad’s the the beast he was riding as he touched down in Jerusalem right there in the dome of the rock.
He put his foot down and there is an imprint there, before he took off and went on the second half of the journey. Now I don’t know. I’ve never seen it myself, but, the stone, you see the dome of a rock. And now on a small less, of course, well known or publicized place is Moray Rabat. I hope I’m pronouncing that right.
Not a a big place, and, in fact, I couldn’t even find it on the map. But, in northwest is if I understand Afghanistan, There allegedly is the handprint of Fatima. Who is Fatima? Well, she’s the daughter of Muhammad, the wife of Ali, and there, the hoof prints of Ali’s horse, dudul. Now I have I doubt very much that, Ali’s horse ever went to Afghanistan. Both have natural forces.
After all, he died in Iraq, but but, this is the this is the thing that legends are made of, and that’s in Morghay Rabat. Now it’s not the only place. In Herat, which is also in Afghanistan. If you look at the map, it’s right over to the east. I’m sorry.
Yes. When I say east, I I mean that it is it’s really Western Afghanistan. If you look at the map, it’s right, next to to Iran. That’s a mistake there. There is a also a special natural force place there.
But, in the north, very much north of, Afghanistan is. There’s a tradition there that the throne was stone was thrown from the mountain, and so women pray that their sons would become strong, and they would be so men go there and try to lift it. Now the these various special places in Afghanistan sometimes hard to find, but, nevertheless, there they are. They’re they’re they’re small, but never in Afghanistan, you’d think that that was such a strong place. You know, the Taliban have been there and been on power.
But, nevertheless, in these settings, there are strong, I guess, traditions and strong folk practices. Now this is, a little bit of a missiological stuff here. Now we we could talk to of other places, but some missiological stuff here is, when you work with, Muslims, knowing the folk concepts, you know, we have to keep in mind that Muslims will, they think the our Bible is a holy book which has natural forces in itself, and so sometimes illiterate people will buy it thinking that, you know, if they put it on their shelf, good luck up high, it’ll bring them good luck. They have no intention to read it. In fact, probably can’t read it, so we have to be aware of that.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t get rid of Bibles and sell Bibles and get rid of the scripture. Just be aware of the fact that Muslims have these views. Now another question for us is is it right should we say every time a new baby is born? Let’s remember that, Muslims do this to to prevent any evil, harm, danger that would come to the baby. So is the the little formula that would prevent any harm coming from envy or evil spirits.
So, you know, you might think of saying something else that is not, that particular thing, but giving praise to God and then explaining, what you mean by it. You’re not, preventing any magic, but you are, you know, declaring that god, in fact, has given this little one and, and you trust you trust him. Another thing is too when you study the bible with, Muslim converts I know that I’ve studied the bible with Muslims, former Muslims, and they were sometimes it seemed to me that really what the only emphasis is is to memorize it but not to think about it. Of course, this is the oftentimes, this is what they do in the schools too. So you you really want to work with on Muslims is to not only memorize the word, but to think deeply and apply it personally to to Muslims.
I can remember one fellow who came with us, and for 2 years, he just seemed like he gave nothing but irrelevant answers, but we kept drilling and trying to get him to think and think and think. And finally, after 2 years, then he sort of took off and started to think through, apply the scriptures, and, certainly, it was a discipling you know, it was just a a great moment when that came. So this is what we have to think of given the background of Muslims, but there are other stones too, other stones, that, well, that that you know, around the Muslim world. One is a white stone in Iran. It bears Imam Ridah’s handprint.
Who is he? He was a great spiritual leader in in the history of Iran, and it has him it’s it’s it’s apparently, his hand is embedded in the wall. Now you didn’t ever see this, and so I’ve got on here. Remember the DVD, mysticus force Iran, which we show in class, but it’s an amazing video. And, apparently, in another situation here, there’s a white stone because the imam put milk on it.
Mothers without enough milk for their baby would go there and would hope that they would then be able to have enough, produce enough milk for their baby. Nishapur is where Ali tied his horse, and there’s a lot of devotion to that spot. There are other stones too like the agate. In Yemen, it’s red and bright and powerful, cut his beads along bars, and it brings merit. It rids travelers of annoying beggars.
You see, if you have that, then the beggars won’t pester you, which they often do, protects from action, shuts up false witnesses, keeps from you from wanting anything or anything in need. If it’s heated and rubbed in the eyeball, it, it cures eye disease. So interesting, is it not? Turquoise, a magical power in that stone that makes the wearer happy. And and and and when you wear that, you’re never in want.
It rest the eyes. Ali apparently wore that to win battles. Unfortunately, he didn’t win them all. If you know history, Ali lost some battles and so did, his son, Hussein, grievously, for which the Shiites have been mourning for 1500 years. So those are, that’s the turquoise.
Another one is the stone is the serpentine. It cures poisonous stings. Well, I I suppose like, the sting of a scorpion or something like that and would protect from dangerous beasts. And jade cures travelers’ thirst. Wear it under the clothes to protect from the evil eye.
So you don’t see these things often, do you? But they’re there. Now, or or protect, you know, from the the the baby’s colic. You know? Kids’ little ones are always getting colic, and they cry and cry because of their tummy ache tummy ache.
So then the jade would help. Black stones natural force. There’s a great awe for the power of the black stone, and evildoers are turned into a black stone. Now example here, the tune of Bibi Sharbanu, who’s the wife of the 12th imam, near Tehran, and the rule here is that only women can enter. If a man enters, he’s in trouble and allegedly wounded and became stone.
Now let’s think just a little bit of missiology here before we wind this up. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus talked about stones, and he did it more than once? We don’t have to turn to all of them, but, they’re all the same, Matthew 21, 42, Mark 12 10, and Luke 20 17. It says that he is the head of the cornerstone, Mark 24. And, you know, you said he says you’ve rejected the the the one that you’ve rejected has become the head of the cornerstone.
So I think it’s a powerful thing to preach on, you know, something like that, because stones will connect. Not that we’re giving magical think magically power this, but we need to find things that connect with our audience in the Muslim world. Shells, the Bedouin use jewelry to for to protect against the evil eye. Water is also used for magical force purposes, and remember that when Muslims do their ablutions, this is this is part of it. In other words, cleansing from spells.
Now bread, boys, according to the tradition that they were playing football with bread and they turned into monkeys. Now metal is an iron box with tiny Quran is the Koran pieces and other with tiny Quran is the most powerful. Remember we talked before about iron and certain of the, evil spirits. Iron cures weak eyes or cures deafness, hemorrhoids, and the steel is beneficial, silver, gold, lead, and so on. So, interesting stuff.
Is it not?